augustreads

Well August didn’t go quite as I planned it. I was on vacation for the last week and got absolutely no reading done. But I still managed to read 15 books in total.

Books I read in August:1. Taken At Dusk by C.C. Hunter ★★★★This was one of my monthly reads with Maria and hopefully we will have a full review up soon.
2. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare ★★★★
The fourth book in the Mortal Instruments series. Not quite as good as the third, but still a great read and continuation of the story.
3. The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer ★★★★★
One of my favourite reads of the month. I have done a full review and you can find it here: https://readsbymandm.wordpress.com/2014/08/19/book-review-the-wishing-spell-by-chris-colfer/4. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett ★★★★
Another great installation in the Discworld series, this time about witches instead of wizards. Really starting to adore Pratchett’s quirky and snarky writing style.
5. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris ★★★★
The third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I was totally craving this since I have been watching True Blood lately and they are a little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine.
6. Blood Red Road by Moira Young ★★★★
Closer to a 3.5 for this one. I enjoyed it but I’m not too sure when I will continue on with the series.
7. Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout ★★★★I was so totally in the mood for this one, out of the blue I just HAD to pick it up and I am so glad that I did. I’m very happy to be back in this series and I never want it to end.
8. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight ★★★
A great story line, fast paced and super intriguing but a solid build up to a let down of an ending. So many things could have been done better with this one.
9. Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis ★★★★
Love the Chronicles of Narnia series, this one was much better than The Horse and His Boy. Can’t wait to continue on with the series.
10. Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson ★★★★
This was so so good, especially for a debut novel. It has your mind racing from chapter to chapter. It is very wonderfully written and I highly suggest picking this one up.
11. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa ★★★★
I went into this one not remembering a single thing from the first book but I quite enjoyed it none the less. I will not wait as long to pick up the third book so I can actually remember what is happening.
12. Atonement by Ian McEwan ★★★
This may be one of those times that I enjoyed the movie a little more than the book. I found some parts to be very dull and I really dragged through. Other parts were beautifully written though and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
13. Allies of the Night by Darren Shan ★★★★★
As always, loved this book. This is the 8th book in the series and I am completely in love. I am dreading the end. Will do a full review once I have finished the series.
14. Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout ★★★★
I couldn’t resist picking this one up. I needed more Daemon in my life. Just as good as the rest.
15. The Lost World by Michael Crichton ★★★
This is the second book in the Jurassic Park series. I have a full review of this series coming soon.

Books I want to read in September:
1. Good Girl by Mary Kubica
2. Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
3. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
4. Whispers at Moonrise by C.C. Hunter
5. Horns by Joe Hill
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. The Giver by Lois Lowry
8. Carrie by Stephen King
9. The Soulstice by Simon Holt
10. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
11. The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
12. When War Calls by Zy Rykoa
13. The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer
14. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
15. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
16. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
17. The Dinner by Herman Koch
18. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
19. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Let me know how reading in August was for you and what you plan to read in September!

Title: The Wishing Spell
Author: Chris Colfer
Published: 2012 by Little, Brown Young Readers
438 pages
First in The Land of Stories seriesClick here to find it on Goodreads

I have watched the first couple seasons of Glee and Chris Colfer was always my favourite actor on that show. After reading this book I am now an even more massive fan of him.

Alex and Conner Bailey are teenage twins going through a hard time in their life. The twins grandmother gives them the story book they used to always read as small children and then one night they both accidentally fall into the story book. They find themselves in a strange place full of magic and creatures and they meet the famous characters of the classic fairy tales they read while growing up. But unfortunately leaving is not going to be as easy as they thought.

First I want to talk about the overall presentation of this book. The front and back covers are absolutely stunning and draws you in immediately. We are also provided with a map of The Land of Stories which always earns bonus points.

Colfer absolutely sucks you into the story. He mixes the classic fairy tales with modern day and it is a perfect combination. The characters are all so well done that you can’t help but fall in love with each and every one of them. It is fast paced and an absolutely charming story that I never wanted to end. Thankfully this is a series so I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book as I know I am going to devour it and love every minute of it.

My favourite quotes:
“Right now, we’re living in an ugly chapter of our lives, but books always get better!”
“Even in the worst of situations – even when it seems no one in the world appreciates you – as long as you have hope, everything can get better”
“Sometimes we forget about our own advantages because we focus on what we don’t have. Just because you have to work a little harder at something that seems easier to others doesn’t mean you’re without your own talents”

I listened to the audiobook for this one and I highly suggest if you are wanting to read this one to get the audiobook to go along with it. Colfer reads it himself and it is perfection. He personifies each character so well and puts a lot of emotion into the story telling. Needless to say, I will not hesitate to check out any of his work in the future.

An easy 5/5 star rating from me. Now let’s hope the rest of the series is just as exciting and fabulous!

My goal this week is to read a total of four books, which is how many I managed last time I participated in a read-a-thon.
So here is my TBR for the week, although there may be some switching in and out depending on my level of interest in the book.

1. Ink by Amanda Sun. The cover for this one is what completely drew me in and the story sounds amazing. This is the first one I’m picking up and I cannot wait!Click here to find it on Goodreads

2. The Lost World by Michael Crichton. Continuing on with my dinosaur kick, I really liked the first book so I’m pretty sure I will enjoy this one a lot too!Click here to find it on Goodreads

3. Atonement by Ian McEwan. This one has been on my TBR for about three and a half years now and it’s finally time to read it. And I am super excited, I am in love with the movie so I know I will love this one too!Click here to find it on Goodreads

4. Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst. Throwing this in there for a fun and quirky read. I have this out from the library right now and need to read and return it soon.Click here to find it on Goodreads

So there you have it. The four books I hope to complete this week.

If you have planned a TBR please let us know in the comments so we can check yours out! Good luck to everyone.

Well another weekend is finally here. Normally I work Saturdays but tomorrow I actually have off! But I have a wedding to go to, which means probably not too much reading getting done tomorrow.

I hope to finish four books this weekend, one is a graphic novel so it won’t take long at all.

I am currently reading The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa which is the second book in the Iron Fey series. I am enjoying it so far although I wish I could remember what happened in the first book. It’s been so long since I’ve read it.

And then I would also like to finish Locke and Key Volume 3 by Joe Hill. This is a super interesting and gory graphic novel written by Stephen King’s son. It has a lot of swearing and violence so I would only suggest this series to a more mature audience.

The SHITIHAVETOOMANYBOOKS read-a-thon is officially over. I am happy with what I managed to read throughout my busy week. 3 books was actually my goal. Next time I participate in a read-a-thon I am hoping to read even more!

1. Taken at Dusk by C.C Hunter ★★★★

Finally finding out more about Kylie and what she really is. Enjoyable read, but I feel like it’s missing something. Like Mallory, I would probably rate this more of a 3.5. Looking forward to finishing the series. Review to come!

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling ★★★★★

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Now I know why everyone worships these books. Review on the Harry Potter series to come! I am going to miss Harry, Hermione and Ron!

3. This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith ★★★★

A cute contemperary that has been sitting on my shelf for far too long. It was a light read about falling in love with a movie star. What’s not to love?

This read-a-thon was really fun. There’s no pressure, you just read as much as you can (or as much as you want) during the week to get through some of your TBR books! You should totally participate in the next one! It’s a great way to get some reading done.

Since the read-a-thon ended, I’ve been getting more reading time (of course that would happen…) and started two books.

Currently reading:

1. What I Thought Was True – Huntley Fitzpatrick

31% read and loving this summertime read so far! It’s way better than I expected!

2. Obsidian – Jennifer L. Armentrout

19% read, and loving it so much that I actually went out and bought the physical copy yesterday instead of continuing on my Kobo. The writing style is so witty and funny, it makes me not want to put the book down. Reading this with my friend Mackenzie. Review to come!

WELCOME!

readsbymandm is a bookblog that was created in July of 2014 by Mallory and Maria. Here you will find everything between monthly wrap ups and tbrs to book reviews and discussions with our book friends Marissa and Mackenzie. To find exactly what post you are looking for, check out our categories below.